Monday, April 30, 2012

Please welcome V. M. Zito to The Qwillery as part of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. The Return Man was published on April 1, 2012. You may read V.M. Zito's Guest Blog - Logic for Dead People - here.

TQ: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

V.M.: I probably shouldn't admit to this. Last December while I was writing THE RETURN MAN, I'd watch Christmas specials every night with my daughter, and a song from an old Rankin Bass show lodged in my head: "Put One Foot in Front of the Other," sung by cute claymation characters. Somehow its lyrics became my anthem for writing a novel. It's about taking things a little bit at a time, how small steps help us cross vast distances and achieve seemingly Herculean tasks. At night as I'd sit down at my desk to write, feeling overwhelmed by the hundreds of pages ahead of me, I'd sing this song. If you're looking for some quirky inspiration, search it on YouTube.

TQ: Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

V.M.: My list of favorites is so long that you might wonder if I understand what the word "favorite" means, since I seem to include everyone. I'll give you a shortened version: Ray Bradbury, John Banville, Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Paul Auster, Shirley Jackson, William Styron, Jack Ketchum. In terms of influence, I think I've absorbed a healthy dose of Jack Ketchum into my story-telling, with a few dashes of Bentley Little, David Morrell and Ray Bradbury, too.

TQ: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

V.M.: I consider myself more of a plotter. For me, writing a novel is like a long road trip. Before I begin, I unfold the map and plan out my major stops along the way --- all the important plot points and decisions awaiting the characters. But what happens between Points A, B and C isn't really predetermined. I try to just let those smaller moments, like character thoughts and reactions, occur organically. Unexpected ideas inevitably pop up like hitchhikers, and sometimes I pull over to pick them up. Or at least slow down for a closer look before I speed away terrified.

TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

For me, it's the constant challenge to my self-esteem, the temptation to judge myself too harshly and compare myself unfairly to other (better) writers. Did I mention I'm an insecure mess?

V.M.: THE RETURN MAN began with idle daydreaming about what it would be like to survive a zombie apocalypse --- but what if my family didn't? How would that feel, knowing that my wife or child was out there somewhere as a tortured zombie? That emotional twist interested me, and I wanted to write a zombie story that I hadn't seen before.

As a long-time zombie fan, I have very defined tastes when it comes to what I enjoy in zombie stories (and what I don't). So while I wanted to be different, I also wanted to adhere to the classic zombie mythos, avoiding the pitfalls of avant-garde zombie novels that inadvertently squelch the basic enjoyment of good ol' zombie horror.

TQ: What sort of research did you do for The Return Man?

V.M.: Most of my research focused on the Arizona setting --- the landscape, the animals and plants, the general vibe of being in the desert. The science was a big part, too. I debated all sorts of diseases and pathogens before choosing my "culprit" for the zombie outbreak, and then I read articles in science journals for clues to possible treatments. The most surprising amount of research was actually needed for the Sunset Limited train that plays heavily in the story. I searched train aficionado websites, digging for information and routes, trying to get the details right.

TQ: Who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?

V.M.: I enjoyed the character Wu --- ostensibly the "bad guy" but really more of a sympathetic foil to the main character Marco. The chapters told from Wu's viewpoint were the most fun to write; I liked exploring his side of the story, understanding him as a man. But he was also the hardest, since he comes from a foreign culture; entering his mind required a greater shift in thinking, as well as greater attention to details of life in China. (More research!)

V.M.: My favorite scene comes near the end, and I can't think of a way to comment on it without spoilers! So... my second favorite scene comes in the middle, a quiet moment in a church between Marco and Wu, in which we gain some insight into each man's personal theology.

TQ: What's next?

V.M.: Another novel, I hope! I'm just breaking ground on a new idea, a supernatural/dark fantasy set in the spooky backwoods of Vermont. No bloody zombies, but there will definitely be maple syrup.

TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

V.M.: And thank you very much for having me! I hope everyone enjoys THE RETURN MAN, and I'd love to hear from you. Visit TheReturnMan.com and feel free to send me a note any time!

The outbreak tore the US in two. The east remains a safe haven. The west has become a ravaged wilderness, known by survivors as the Evacuated States. It is here that Henry Marco makes his living. Hired by grieving relatives, he tracks down the dead and delivers peace.

Now Homeland Security wants Marco for a mission unlike any other. He must return to California, where the apocalypse began. Where a secret is hidden. And where his own tragic past waits to punish him again.

But in the wastelands of America, you never know who - or what - is watching you.

V. M. Zito resides in Connecticut, USA with his wife and daughter. When not writing, he spends his weekdays working as Creative Director at a New England ad agency and his weekends running on trails. THE RETURN MAN is his first novel.

What: One commenter will win a copy of The Return Man from The Qwillery.

How: Leave a comment answering the following question:

Favorite novel, movie or TV show featuring zombies?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Monday, May 7, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Please welcome Isabel Cooper to The Qwillery! Lessons After Dark, the second novel in the Englefield series, was published on April 3, 2012.

Surprising Characters

It’s always the minor characters who really surprise me.

See, because romance novels are mostly about the relationship between the hero and heroine, I generally start with a decent idea of who they are and what they want. I may find myself developing aspects of them that I didn’t expect, but there isn’t very much about them that comes completely out of nowhere, or that takes a major change in direction from where I think I’m going at the beginning of the story. What I end up having them do is often different; who they are really isn’t.

Secondary characters, on the other hand, are often complete blanks when I’m going in. At most, I have a couple of basic characteristics to develop; sometimes, as with Gillespie in No Proper Lady, I don’t even know that they’re going to appear at all. With Arthur Waite and William Fitzpatrick, two of the major secondary characters in Lessons After Dark, I had a rough idea of them when I started writing: the two oldest boys, troublemakers, one rich and one less so, both on the arrogant-and-sexist side, as per Victorian teenage boys.

I’d expected Arthur to be the villain of the piece, insofar as there is one. He’s older, he’s wealthier, and he starts out making some of the more obnoxiously sexist comments about Olivia. When I started writing, the book was going to involve him getting in considerably more trouble, causing considerably more hardship for his fellow students, and eventually setting in motion the final and more dangerous events of his own free will: not because he was evil or malicious, even then, but because he was arrogant and seventeen and dumb.

Except a couple of things happened. First of all, Arthur kept getting smacked down as the book progressed, to the point where I really couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t learn better. (I know—people don’t. But I’m far, far less cynical as a writer than I am as a human being.) And the qualities that I intended to make him just-not-villainous contributed to the notion that he could, and should, get over himself by about midway through the book.

At the same time, William, who had been more of a cipher when I started out, started showing some of his own issues: again, nothing overtly evil, but the sort of thing that would lead him to test boundaries and try to prove himself. I realized (with considerable help from my editor, Leah) that the story needed a somewhat more otherworldly force to really tie the plot together. And finally, the more I wrote about Englefield and the kids there, the more I remembered what it was like for me to be a teenager, saying and doing things I totally meant at the time and regretted like hell about six weeks later.

So William gained a somewhat more troubled personality; Arthur went from a proto-Chuck-Bass-style jerk to a kid who gets in over his head and (sort of) gains the good sense to realize it; and Olivia and Gareth ended up joining forces to deal with a far more supernatural opponent.

A woman with an unspeakable past…
Olivia Brightmore didn't know what to expect when she took a position to teach at Englefield School, an academy for "gifted" children. But it wasn't having to rescue a young girl who levitated to the ceiling. Or battling a dark mystery in the surrounding woods. And nothing could have prepared her for Dr. Gareth St. John...

A man with exceptional talent…
He knew all about her history and scrutinized her every move because of it. But there was more than suspicion lurking in those luscious green eyes. Even with all the strange occurrences at the school, the most unsettling of all is the attraction pulling Olivia and Gareth together with a force that cannot be denied.

•Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
•Library Journal Best Book of the Year
•RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellence and Finalist for Best Book of the Year

When a half-naked woman suddenly appears on his country estate, Simon Grenville doesn't have time to be shocked. Demonic beasts are hot on his heels until the beautiful stranger unsheathes several knives strapped to her skin-tight trousers and kills them. As he stares at her fierce, heart-stopping face, Simon knows he's in a hell of a lot of trouble…

Joan is from a time where demons run rampant and humanity is fighting for its existence. To prevent this terrible future, she is sent back to Victorian England to kill the magician responsible for unleashing the dark forces. But Joan is a soldier more used to sparring than dancing. To get close to her target, she'll need Simon to teach her how to fit into polite society. Joan doesn't mind practicing proper flirtation on Simon, but she can't allow herself to be distracted by his gentle hands or devilish smile—the very future depends on it.

Critically acclaimed author Isabel Cooper lives in Boston with her boyfriend and a houseplant she’s kept alive for over a year now. She maintains her guise as a mild-mannered project manager working in legal publishing; all the while, she’s writing dark, edgy and magical romance novels. Her debut novel, No Proper Lady, was named a 2011 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year in the romance category, a 2011 Library Journal Best Romance of the Year and received an RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellence for the month of September 2011. For more information, please visit http://www.isabelcooper.org.

The Giveaway

THE RULES

What: Two commenters will each win a copy of Lessons After Dark (Englefield 2) from The Qwillery.

How: Leave a comment answering the following question:

What are some or your favorite Paranormal Historical Romances

or Historical Romances?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Sunday, May 6, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

I would love to read these books!! I am always on the lookout for a "new to me" author.

Choice of a signed copy of eitherFatedorClaimedby Rebecca Zanetti - Ended April 23, 2012 - Read the Guest Blog here.

Question: Who's your favorite villain?

andieleah who said...

My favorite villain is Galen from Gena Showalters Lords of the Underworld series. How crazy that the villain is the demon of Hope. Been wanting to check out the Dark Protectors series for awhile now...hope I can start by winning here:)

I like Poseidon...ruler of the all the oceans and everything inhabiting them...no too darn bad of a gig if you ask me!!! Thanks for the giveaway!!!

Sins of Son(The Grigori Legacy 2) by Linda Poitevin- a Mass Market Paperback copy for a US/Canadian winner or an eBook for an International (non-US/Canada) winner- Ended April 25, 2012 - Read the Guest Blog here.

Question: Have any characters you've read about or seen in TV show or movie surprised you in some way?

*yadkny* who said...

Z from the BDB series surprised me... I didn't think I was going to like him when I first read about him, but he really changed my mind and became one of my fav characters when he got his own book.

Question: What is your favorite book, movie, TV show with ghosts or a ghost? OR What is your favorite book, movie, TV show with police?

Tina B who said...

My favorite show with ghosts has to be Supernatural! To this day, we still watch it faithfully. My favorite movie with a ghost is of course Ghost with Patrick Swayze. :) My favorite police TV show is a tie between Southland and Rookie Blue.
I LOVED the interview! What a great accomplishment that your first story will be in a paperback form.
Thank you so much for sharing and for the giveaway opportunity.

The winners have been notified and for the most part have until 11:59 PM on Sunday, May 6, 2012 to respond or The Qwillery will very randomly choose a new winner or winners.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Please welcome Erin Kellison to The Qwillery. Erin is the author of the Shadow series and the upcoming Shadow Kissed series.

Spotlight on a Shadow

by Erin Kellison

First, a huge thank you to Sally for having me here today. I’m celebrating the release of Shadow Play, the second e-novella installment in my Shadow Touch novella series. And I’m offering a $25 gift card to a random commenter who answers the question below.

While I was writing Shadow Fall, the second book in my Shadow series, I had an idea for a heroine I later named Eleanor Russo. She grew up a shut-in and is basically terrified of the world (and herself) because her shadow can move, speak, and act independently of her flesh and blood body. The shadow is the most primal part of Ellie, the part that has no shame, cannot lie, and is instinct personified. She is the id (think Freud) and will do what she must to survive.

If my shadow could do all that, I’d be in a lot of trouble. I think I’m a pretty peace-loving person, but I do contemplate murder all the time (for my stories, and yeah, okay, the occasional person who ticks me off). And I’m generally truthful, except when I’m not. And no one except my husband is very aware of my libidinous side. Okay, maybe my readers might guess about that. My point is, on the surface, I’m just like everyone else. And underneath… well, I think I’m just like everyone else there too. And so is Ellie, except her dark side roams freely while the rest of her has to contend with the aftermath.

I wondered… what if the dark side was stronger than the thinking part that’s supposed to control it? And wouldn’t it be cool to write the character arc of the person finally mastering her dark side and kicking the crap out of bad guys at the same time?

I loved the idea of the character, but I ended up writing a different book (Shadowman). Around that time, I was contracted to write a novella in my Shadow series. I knew instantly that it would feature Ellie and would introduce Dr. Cameron Kalamos as well, her love interest (I get giddy thinking about his character too).

That novella became Shadow Touch, the first in my Shadow Touch series in which Ellie Russo goes to the Segue Institute for help. It’s a last-ditch effort, an act of desperation. She doesn’t exactly get what she wants from Segue (and Dr. Kalamos), but it’s enough to keep her alive, and her shadow (somewhat) in check.

Shadow Touch wasn’t enough for me. Once I had written Ellie and Cam, I knew I had to continue their story. Their arcs were conceived for a full novel, and that’s ultimately what I wanted to do. My publisher was fantastic and agreed to three more novellas to complete Ellie’s story. The second, Shadow Play, was just released. I’m working on Shadow Hunt right now (bwahahaha) and am looking forward to the final installment, Shadow Untitled (catchy, huh?).

Each story stands alone, with a romantic arc connecting the four. And ALSO, the novella series bridges my original Shadow series and the Shadow Kissed series (a spin-off), which debuts with Fire Kissed on July 3.

Here’s the blurb for Shadow Play:

Shadow

The world is growing dark with it as mysteries from antiquity and legend creep into our time, bringing a new world of danger, beauty and...

Magic

Dr. Cam Kalamos has dedicated his life to studying its strange properties, but nothing is more intriguing than a woman whose soul is split in half, one part under her control, one part bent on...

Seduction

How can he resist the lure of a lover with no inhibitions and an insatiable desire to possess him? Both Ellie and her shadow want Cam, but there is an innocent child to be rescued from the forest and the strange fae creatures of...

Twilight

Love, loyalty, betrayal - which will rule? As Ellie sends her other self into the darkness, there is only one certainty: Trusting in shadows is a dangerous game.

About Erin

Erin Kellison is the author of the Shadow Series, which includes Shadow Bound and Shadow Fall, as well as Shadowman (Sept 2011), and the e-novella Shadow Touch (June 2011). Stories have always been a central part of Erin's life. She attempted her first book in sixth grade, a dark fantasy adventure, and she still has those early hand-written chapters. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English Language and Literature and went on for a masters in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on oral storytelling. When she had children, nothing scared her anymore, so her focus shifted to writing fiction.

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Saturday, May 5, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Here is The Qwillery's list of books being published in May 2012. If there is something that I've missed, please leave a comment below. Any genre mistakes are mine. Leave a comment below if you feel that the genre is wrong. Also note that this list is always under revision. Publication dates change. I try to keep this as accurate as possible. The most accurate lists can be found for each week in The View From Monday posts.

You can print a PDF of all of the May 2012 releases by clicking HERE. Click the printer image to print.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Please welcome Lyn Benedict to The Qwillery. Lies & Omens was published on April 24, 2012. It's the 4th novel in Lyn's Shadow Inquiries series about Sylvie Lightner, P.I.

TQ: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Lyn: A quirk in the way I write? Or in the writing itself? I don't think I have any particular quirks to the method—no special music, drink, place, time, etc—though I am getting surprisingly good at typing around the kitten who wants to sleep on the computer.

Writing-wise, the thing that always bewilders me is my sheer inability to number chapters consecutively. Somehow I always get to chapter 16 in the revisions and there are three of them. I just don't get it. It's not that hard to count upward, and yet…every single time, there they are, multiple chapters. Apparently my brain thinks the numbers go: 15, 16, 17, 16, 18, 16, 17… it's goofy.

TQ: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Lyn: A bit of both, working in conjunction. I do a rough outline, then a detailed plot outline for the first eight chapters, then I start writing. But I don't hold myself to that outline if more interesting avenues appear. Some of my favorite character moments and plot complications arrive out of events that were never on the outline, and take me far from the original idea of the plot. But when things get stuck, going back and starting an outline of events is often enough to get me going again.

TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Lyn: I love the brainstorming process; it's a fever of delighted inspiration and a thousand tiny details scrawled on various surfaces. Then that energy fades and I have to sit down and turn it into prose. Not just functional prose, but something that really tries to encapsulate the giddy emotions I felt when conceiving of it: dread, awe, happiness, what have you. The hardest thing I do is translate inspiration to words. There's just no way prose ever reaches the shining image in my mind and that's crazy-frustrating.

Second to that? Probably practicing the dreaded BICHOK (butt in chair, hands on keyboard). It's just so hard to get started every day. Once, I get there, life is good, but those first ten minutes are sheer hell. I always feel like a kid put in time-out. Sit on that chair and don't wiggle! One of my friends writes while using her treadmill; I'm deeply envious of her physical coordination.

TQ: What inspired you to write the Shadows Inquiries series?

Lyn: I've always been a huge fan of urban fantasies, that mixture of magic and mystery, and the detective who's got to sort it all out. I'd written some short stories in that vein, and been frustrated because by the time I'd conveyed magic, setting, character, and added a mystery to the top, the stories were too long to go anywhere. Then, a friend asked me what would happen if two of the characters from those stories met? (Kevin Dunne, the god of justice, and Sylvie Lightner). I laughed, thought it was a fun exercise and started to figure out what Kevin could possibly need from her. Sixty pages of notes later, I realized I had not only my next novel but a whole world of trouble to explore, with rules of magic involving the boundaries between gods and men.

TQ: What sort of research did you do to create your world and mythology?

Lyn: I grew up on Greek myths they taught in schools (why do they teach us Greek mythology?) and the Cuban folklore I heard around Miami. So I was primed to find mythology fascinating. Over the years, I've read and collected loads of books on various myths, and since Sylvie is sort of a free-for-all, I let myself wander through, picking and choosing some of my favorites to include, then shamelessly altering them as I saw fit. I wanted the Sylvie books to really feel like they could be happening in our current world, so I mostly left our society as it is, only warped bits and pieces. I did have a nasty moment once when I put a magical battle in the Viscaya Gardens in Miami, and found that they had recently been closed for renovations. For a moment, I actually felt guilty! The perils of using real world places.

Lyn: Well, I have an especial fondness for revelation scenes, or epiphanies. So Sylvie's major plot epiphany is one of my very favorites. But there are a lot of scenes, I really enjoyed writing in this book—from romantic elements to Sylvie action scenes where she's in way over her head.

Plus, I had a chance to use some of my favorite monsters in this book. I feel like I've been waiting years for a valid chance to put my version of these storybook monsters on a page.

TQ: In the Shadows Inquiries series, who was the most difficult character to write and why? The easiest and why?

Lyn: Demalion, Sylvie's love interest, is probably the trickiest, though the bad guy in Gods & Monsters gave him a run for the money. The problem with Demalion is that Sylvie's a very opinionated, very prickly woman, and I had to make sure that Demalion's attraction to her felt real and not just plot-convenient. I didn't want him to simply be Sylvie's yes-man. I wanted the reader to feel that Demalion has his own life, his own agenda, and that he doesn't always agree with Sylvie. I want the reader to think they honestly respect and like each other despite all the arguing; when you're writing the romance (such as it is), it's very easy to just wave the authorial magic-wand and say "They're in LOVE!" But readers are smart; if the characters don't really have any reason to be fond of each other, they'll notice and the romance will fall flat. Romance, like comedy, is more difficult than people think.

Oddly enough the easiest character to write is Alex Figueroa-Smith, Sylvie's assistant. Alex is cheerful, friendly, organized, sensible, and, I'm pretty sure, is the only human Sylvie is actually afraid to anger. Alex is the friendly office tyrant. Honestly, Alex is closest to wish-fulfillment as any character I write: she's just so competent! I wish I had half her organizational skills.

TQ: Who is/are your favorite character or characters from the Shadows Inquiries series?

Lyn: It sounds greedy or arrogant to say this, but I love a lot of these characters a ridiculous amount. Every book has one side character that I fall a little in love with. But I think my favorite has to be the least human: Erinya, the fury. She's all id and bad behavior, and that makes her fun to write. At this point, Erinya is equal parts terrifying and exasperating to Sylvie. She was originally supposed to be a one-book character but kept creeping back. And ultimately, Erinya really makes an impact on Sylvie and the world.

TQ: What's next?

Lyn: I'm heading back to my 2nd world fantasy roots, trading in Sylvie and her guns for more elaborate world-magics and a whole slew of new characters. The heroine is, surprise, surprise, a bit difficult and prone to making enemies—it seems to me that characters are always surrounded by enemies; I like the idea of her deserving a least a good share of them.

And because I can't just abandon Sylvie's world completely, I'm working on a series of short stories and novellas set along her timeline, though from alternate points of view. Demalion may finally get his say without Sylvie interrupting him every two seconds.

Sylvie Lightner is a P.I. specializing in the unusual—in a world where magic is real, and Hell is just around the corner.

After escaping secret government cells and destroying a Miami landmark, Sylvie’s trying to lay low—something that gets easier when a magical force starts taking out her enemies. But these magical attacks are a risk to bystanders, and Sylvie can’t let that slide.

When the war between the government and the magical world threatens the three people closest to her—her assistant, her sister, and her lover—Sylvie has no choice but to get involved with hidden powers bent on shaping the world to their liking. Now, with death and disaster on the horizon, even if Sylvie wins, things will never be the same...

Sylvie Lightner is no ordinary P.I. She specializes in cases involving the unusual and unbelievable. When she finds the bodies of five women in the Florida Everglades, Sylvie believes them to be the work of a serial killer and passes the buck. But when the bodies wake and shift shape, killing the police, Sylvie finds herself at the head of a potentially lethal investigation.

Chicago cop Adam Wright has picked up a spiritual hitchhiker, the ghost of a dead man who desperately wants to live again. So he turns to supernatural P.I. Sylvie Lightner to rid him of the spirit-a spirit she finds strangely familiar.

Sylvie Lightner is no ordinary P.I. She specializes in cases involving the unusual, in a world where magic is real-and where death isn't the worst thing that can happen to you.

But when an employee is murdered in front of her, Sylvie has had enough. After years of confounding the dark forces of the Magicus Mundi, she's closing up shop-until a man claiming to be the God of Justice wants Sylvie to find his lost lover.

Lyn Benedict was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of two scientists, and grew up as the first human member of their menagerie. When it came time for a career, it was a hard choice between veterinarian and writer. It turned out to be far more fun to write about blood than to work with it. She received her BA in Creative Writing from Beloit College, and currently lives in Lawrence, Kansas.

What: One commenter will win a copy of Lies & Omens from Lyn! US/Canada ONLY

How: Leave a comment answering the following question:

Do you have any favorite Private Investigators who specialize in the supernatural?

or

Just leave a comment.

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US or Canadian mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Thursday, May 3, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Please welcome Shawntelle Madison to The Qwillery as part of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. Coveted, Shawntelle's debut, was published yesterday! Read Shawntelle's Guest Blog - Writing a character with OCD - here.

TQ: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Shawntelle: When I am in the zone and a story is pouring out of me, everything around me seems to go to hell. My house gets messy, my wardrobe choices aren’t the best, and dinner every night is a pizza night. I’ve written until my hands hurt and I had to use Dragon Naturally Speaking to get the words out. So, ummm, I guess you could say I’m driven?

TQ: Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Shawntelle: The author who has influenced me the most is science fiction author Octavia Butler. I love her work. I read her a lot in high school and I always wanted to write speculative fiction. Some of my other favorites include Marjorie M. Liu, Patricia Briggs, and Lynn Viehl/S.L. Viehl.

TQ: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Shawntelle: I’m actually a hybrid. I’m a plotser. I plot out the whole book from a macro prospective, but when it comes to individual scenes anything goes.

TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Shawntelle: Finding the time to write when I actually feel like writing. It seems like when I want to write I have plenty of other things to do.

TQ: Describe Coveted in 140 characters or less.

Shawntelle: A hoarding werewolf with a house of full holiday trinkets must fight for the love of the man who left her behind & her life.

TQ: What inspired you to write Coveted?

Shawntelle: The idea for Coveted came from reading one of my husband’s physician magazines. The article on the cover piqued my interest—it was about obsessive compulsive disorders. I read the article, which include treatment plans and symptoms. I chewed on ideas for a while until I finally asked myself the question, “What would happen if you had a werewolf with OCD?" From that point, the plot and secondary characters emerged.

TQ: What sort of research did you do for Coveted?

Shawntelle: For Coveted I read a lot about antiques—which was very fun. I also got to research a lot of the phobias I mention in the book. Naturally, you can’t do research on how Muses would be afraid of the authors they inspire, but hey, I gave it my best shot. I also watched a lot of episodes of Hoarders, one of my favorite television shows. The transformations of the homes on that show are amazing and inspiring.

TQ: Who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?

Shawntelle: Nat by far was the easiest character to write. She just comes out of my head like she’s a girlfriend who wants to chat about what irked her that particular day. Actually, none of the other characters were really difficult to write. They spoke and I wrote. LOL

For werewolf Natalya Stravinsky, the supernatural is nothing extraordinary. What does seem strange is that she’s stuck in her hometown of South Toms River, New Jersey, the outcast of her pack, selling antiques to finicky magical creatures. Restless and recovering from her split with gorgeous ex-boyfriend, Thorn, Nat finds comfort in an unusual place: her obsessively collected stash of holiday trinkets. But complications pile up faster than her ornaments when Thorn returns home—and the two discover that the spark between them remains intense.

Before Nat can sort out their relationship, she must face a more immediate and dangerous problem. Her pack is under attack from the savage Long Island werewolves—and Nat is their first target in a turf war. Toss in a handsome wizard vying for her affection, a therapy group for the anxious and enchanted, and the South Toms River pack leader ready to throw her to the wolves, and it’s enough to give anybody a panic attack. With the stakes as high as the full moon, Nat must summon all of her strength to save her pack and, ultimately, herself.

Fresh from defending her pack in battle, Natalya Stravinsky, a whip-smart werewolf with a lovable neurotic streak, wants a little rest and relaxation. Once an outcast, she’s now eager to rejoin the ranks of her New Jersey pack, and has even gotten a handle on her obsessive urge to hoard holiday ornaments. Yet Nat barely has time to revel in her progress before the next crisis comes howling at her door.

Nat’s father has suddenly gone missing, captured by the Russian werewolf mafia. And as Nat steps up to save her dad from a mob boss’s deadly game, two men step in to play another round for her heart: her gorgeous alpha ex-boyfriend, Thorn, and her new flame, the sweetly sensitive wizard Nick. With her life growing more harried by the minute, Nat must stay cool, calm, and collected . . . or else risk losing everything.

Shawntelle loves to write stories where something mysterious always happens. Her stories unfold in either a magical place or she drop kicks her heroine and hero into the mix of crazy magical circumstances. Her characters have been swimming around in her head for the longest of time, but its only recently that she has given into their demands and wrote down their adventures.

Why paranormal? Well, every time she thinks about writing something straight forward she gets caught in the what-if exercise. What if her hero was a werewolf or if her heroine was a nymph? How far could she go down the rabbit hole and not sound crazy? (Yet still be somewhat believable?)

Writing is one of her first loves, besides web development. She is a die hard geek who earned her undergraduate degree in Math from Iowa State University. (She even almost finished a degree in Russian Studies.)

As far as memberships, she’s a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and Romance Writers of America (RWA), in particular the Missouri RWA and Young Adult RWA.

She currently lives in Missouri with her husband and children (the Den of Evil).

What: One commenter will win a Mass Market Paperback copy of Coveted from The Qwillery.

How: Leave a comment answering the following question:

Who is your favorite werewolf from books, movies or TV?

(You can list more than one!)

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 2, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

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